Welcome back 311 nation! Are we ready for the next edition of the fan spotlight? Let’s get this party started and meet Mike Sterling!
The year was 1994 when Mike learned about 311 thanks to a friend from work named Scott. Mike was into a huge variety of music at that point and being a trombone player he was all about the Ska music and more specifically the band The Urge. Then in 1996 The Urge were opening for his now other favorite band, 311, at Red Rocks. “Yep the one from the first ETSD video! Every time I watch it I can see the silhouette of my friends and I having the time of our lives in the trees off to the side of the stage( they were small trees back then lol). That group and I attended every Red Rocks show that 311 ever did after that as well as just about every other Colorado date over the next 15 plus years. No social media back then so the group was big, then small, then big, then small… but always I would organize a group of friends to pre-party and attend every show. I would even buy blocks of tickets to ensure everyone could go. We would also go to Independent Records on album release days and party in the parking lot until the midnight release. Then we’d rock on all night listening and breaking down the new masterpiece. Really miss those times! Somehow a download party just isn’t the same… But anything that 311 did in Colorado or nationally for those first 18 years we were there.”
The 1996 show was the first for Mike and he’s sort of lost count of how many it’s been since then. He knows show #100 was on the Jamaica cruise so he believes he’s somewhere around 120. For him, the second cruise (his first) was his favorite event so far. “After retiring from my job of 21 years my wife Cassie and I decided to embark on a 17 day musical journey across the country. My hope was to rediscover my love for playing music again and maybe re-visit being a musician again someday. We started in New Orleans for Jazz fest with Petty and Springsteen among others. We discovered a variety of new artists like Gary Clark Jr along the way. Then we drove up to Memphis for Beale Street music festival and saw more amazing bands and more Gary Clark Jr.! lol The exciting conclusion of the trip was for us to fly to Miami and jump aboard the 2nd 311 cruise. I had heard that the first one was pretty fun and since nobody was a 311 super fan like me (I thought), it should be a pretty nice time… The rest is history! It was the time of my life and changed everything for me moving forward.”
One of Mike’s favorite songs is “Stealing Happy Hours” or he said really anything from Transistor. One of his favorite lines from a song is, “At the end of the day the relentless always win.” “Every album is a memory and chapter of my life through those years. Like listening to Transistor for the first time after quitting my job or playing football in the parking lot at midnight waiting for Soundsystem to be released. I cherish those memories and times.”
Syracuse, New York, is where Mike comes from but he’s lived in Denver, Colorado for over 30 years. He worked his way up in his first job to owning his own Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. He had a long, successful career with his company Harman Management but then after 21 years decided he needed to move on from the corporate world, so he retired.
It was in Denver that Mike met his soon to be brother, Kevin Labella. He was walking around a Ballyhoo show and that’s where their relationship began. “Even though we’d cruised together twice and danced on the same stages we had never met. A conversation about horns and The Unity All Stars occurred and the flood gates opened for me as a musician. It had been basically 20 years since I had last played on stage but began practicing for the 2015 Las Vegas Red, White and Boom 311 afterparty. It went great! I have now been with The Unity All Stars for nearly 4 years. We’ve played 3 311 cruises and dozens of shows for 311 events. Such an honor. The connection with the hundreds off friends and 311 fans Ive made is beyond something I can describe. I literally have family everywhere I go. All of these friendships and connections Ive made in the 311 community have led me to hundreds off musicians, professional connections and opened doors for me that I never would of had a chance to pass through. Kevin and I have done multiple guest appearances with bands like Ballyhoo, Bumpin’ Uglies, Krooked Trees and many others. Currently, I play Trombone and sing for a touring band out of Atlanta, GA called The Bastard Suns. They were also one of my favorite bands back in the day and because of my connection to 311 and their fans I not only ended meeting them but then I joined the band! This is no fluke! Dozens and dozens of 311 fans have stayed at my home with my wife Cassie and I since the second cruise and the connections we’ve made grow stronger and stronger. The web grows larger and tighter everyday and it couldn’t be a greater joy than to be on this journey with all of my fellow 311 Fans. There is no community like ours and I feel nothing but pride to be a part of it!”
Mike said that 311 and his community connections are his true guilty pleasure. “I spend more time and money on 311 and 311 related events than any other thing in my life.” We know he loves a variety of music and some of his other favorite artists include The Urge, Streetlight Manifesto, The Mad Caddies, The Interrupters, Reel Big Fish, and Less Than Jake. Something you may not know about Mike though is that he was born with a condition called ABS (Amniotic Band Syndrome). “It is the cause of some of the physical problems I have with my hands and feet. If you know me you know lol.”
To 311, his message is this: “Thanks for writing the soundtrack to the chapters of my life. Somebody had to do it! The story would be far more boring without the incredible music… So Thanks!”
To his fellow fans, he has this message:
“The positivity and love from this community comes from all of us. Its not something we can teach but we can protect it. Truth is that its not something that can be given, its something thats inside of us and comes from within. We owe it to each other to share that gift just like 311 has done for us. Each of us carry the torch and responsibly to protect our community and philosophies. Stay positive and love everyones lives!”
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What a story Mike Sterling! Thanks so much for sharing this with the community. Of course, much gratitude goes out to all the readers each week. The electricity from you all is outstanding and I’m so proud to be a part of this fan community. Until we meet again…go be amazing!
Much Love – The Runt